Neuston, we have a problem: why do we know so little about the creatures floating on the ocean surface?

They withstand ocean storms, extreme heat and may impact everything from coral reefs to the deep sea. Why has it taken so long to pay attention to the neuston?Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastIn the summer months, north-easterly winds frequently herald the arrival of bluebottles on beaches along Australia's east coast. But while bluebottles - or to give them their more formal name, the Pacific man-of-war - are a common sight on Australian shores, they are not native to coastal waters. Instead, they spend most of their lives on the open ocean, drifting with the winds and the currents.Bluebottles are just one of a collection of organisms that have made their home at the ocean's surface. Some of these animals are hydrozoans like the bluebottle. Continue reading...